Graduate Diploma in Chartered Professional Accountancy (CPA)
Admission requirements
The John Molson Graduate Diploma in Chartered Professional Accountancy (CPA) Admissions Committee reviews every application on an individual basis, looking for students with strong academic credentials, clear professional goals, motivation, maturity, and a commitment to excellence.
For more information on the application process, please consult our step-by-step application guide.
As it is a competitive program with a limited number of available seats for each intake, meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Applicants who exceed the minimum requirements will have better chances of admission.
International students must possess a Canadian work permit in order to pursue the program, given the part-time nature of the Regular path and the leave of absence incorporated into the Accelerated path. If you are an international student, please contact an advisor at Concordia University's International Students Office to review your eligibility by email at iso@concordia.ca.
Academic credentials
- Undergraduate degree with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 / 4.3.
- You may upload unofficial scanned copies of your transcripts for the application. Official sealed transcripts will be requested if you are admitted.
- Applicants who have completed studies with the CPA Order must upload those transcripts and certificates as well.
- If you are currently enrolled in school:
- Submit the results of previous terms and a list of your current courses
- Include mid-year grades if they're available
- Successful completion of all courses listed in our Prerequisite courses section before beginning the CPA program.
- ACCO courses must be completed at a Canadian institution with a minimum overall GPA (across all prerequisite ACCO course) of 2.8 / 4.3.
- ACCO courses may be repeated to obtain the required ACCO GPA. Students with the fewest number of repeats will have the strongest chance for admission.
Select the scenario that best applies to you for additional details
If you have completed a Bachelor of Commerce, major in Accountancy at Concordia University you will have completed most (if not all) of the CPA prerequisite courses either as part of the core courses for the bachelor's degree, as part of the requirements for the major in Accountancy, or as an elective course.
If you have completed your degree but are missing one or two of the prerequisite courses, you may be able to complete them as an undergraduate independent student.
If you have completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy in a Canadian university other than Concordia and have completed the required courses for entry to that university’s CPA program, then you will not have to complete additional courses for entry to our CPA program. However, you must still meet the GPA requirements for the bachelor's degree and for the prerequisite accounting courses.
Please contact the John Molson CPA program team for the entry requirements from your university.
If you have completed a Canadian bachelor's degree in a field other than Accounting, you must complete the CPA prerequisite courses before you can apply to the John Molson CPA program. The prerequisite courses can be completed at Concordia University in our undergraduate programs.
To complete the prerequisite courses, you would need to submit an application to the Bachelor of Commerce, major in Accountancy degree as your first choice and the Certificate in Accountancy program as your second choice. Be sure to include a note stating that you are applying to these programs to meet the entry requirements for the John Molson Graduate Diploma in CPA.
The Admissions team will determine which of the two programs is best for you. Once admitted, you may ask to be exempted from some of the prerequisite courses. Please note that if you are admitted to the Bachelor of Commerce, you don’t have to study the entire bachelor’s degree. You will only need to take the prerequisites as assessed by the Admissions team.
For more help / information about applying to the undergraduate programs, you can connect with the undergraduate programs recruiter.
If you have not completed the CPA prerequisite courses in a Canadian university, you cannot apply directly to the John Molson Graduate Diploma in CPA program. Even if you have a degree in accounting, you must complete the CPA prerequisite courses in a Canadian university to learn the Canadian accounting rules and regulations, before you can apply.
To complete the prerequisite courses, you need to submit an application to the Bachelor of Commerce, major in Accountancy degree. You will need to include a “Note from student” stating that you are applying to the program to meet the entry requirements for the John Molson Graduate Diploma in CPA.
Once admitted, you may ask to be exempted from some of the prerequisite courses. Please note that if you are admitted to the Bachelor of Commerce, you don’t have to study the entire bachelor’s degree. You will only need to take the prerequisites as assessed by the undergraduate admissions officer.
For more help / information about applying to the undergraduate programs, you can connect with the undergraduate programs recruiter.
If you are already a member of a professional accounting organization and are in good standing, you may be able to obtain a Canadian CPA title by taking fewer courses. Information for applicants who are a member of a professional accounting body outside of Canada can be found on the Quebec CPA website.
English language proficiency
Applicants who did not complete their undergraduate degree in a country on our exempt countries list must write a pre-admissions English proficiency test. We accept the following language tests and minimum scores:
- TOEFL iBT: 95 overall with no band below 20
- Academic IELTS: 7.0 overall with no band below 6.5
- We prefer the TOEFL and IELTS tests, but since the pandemic we have accepted the Duolingo English Test with a 120 overall and no band below 120
Although John Molson prefers the above tests, you may take another language test as indicated on our Graduate Admissions page if not exempted as indicated below.
Exemptions:
- A minimum of three full years of study at the undergraduate or graduate level at an accredited university in one of the following countries;
- Quebec applicants who have completed a Diploma of Collegial Studies (DEC) and a university degree in Quebec.
We do not accept English proficiency test scores more than 2 years old.
Note: Please upload your unofficial scores to your application. If you are accepted into the program, you will then be asked to have the official scores sent to us.
Although work experience is not required, applicants must provide a copy of their CV/resume showing education, professional experience and achievements, including internships and volunteering, if applicable.
Your CV / resume should:
- be complete (e.g. providing year AND month timeframes);
- be legible and concise (ideally 1 page, 2 pages maximum);
- include a summary of your academic, professional and personal achievements;
- be tailored for a university application with academic experience first, followed by professional experience, etc.
Applicants must provide a Statement of purpose (also known as a Letter of intent) addressed to the Admissions Committee indicating their reasons for choosing the program, their background and career goals and, importantly, how the program will help them to achieving those goals.
Overall, applicants will want to convey not only that the program is right for them, but that they are right for the program. The Statement of purpose should be approximately 500 words.
Below is a sample of questions that may help you to draft your personalized Statement of purpose::
- Why have you chosen to apply to this particular program?
- What are your career goals?
- Briefly highlight your strengths that you would bring to the program AND your weakness(es) that you would want to improve upon in the program.
Applicants must include the name, affiliated institution and email address (college/university or company mail) of an academic or professional reference who can attest to their prior performance and potential for career growth in the program. Academic references (i.e., from former professors) are preferred.
Your referee will receive an email inviting them to complete an electronic assessment form and attach their letter of reference. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application before your program’s application deadline in order to give your referee sufficient time to provide their assessment and letter of reference.
Where applicable, applicants must include a certified copy of their birth certificate, Permanent Resident card, Canadian Citizen card, or Refugee Status papers.
International students must possess a Canadian work permit in order to pursue the program, given the part-time nature of the Regular path and the leave of absence incorporated into the Accelerated path. If you are an international student, please contact an advisor at Concordia University's International Students Office to review your eligibility by email at iso@concordia.ca.
A non-refundable application fee paid online by credit card.
Questions?
For more information on the application process, please consult the Graduate Diploma in CPA's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
